WELCOME TO THE CFZ BLOG NETWORK: COME AND JOIN THE FUN

Half a century ago, Belgian Zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans first codified cryptozoology in his book On the Track of Unknown Animals.

The Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) are still on the track, and have been since 1992. But as if chasing unknown animals wasn't enough, we are involved in education, conservation, and good old-fashioned natural history! We already have three journals, the largest cryptozoological publishing house in the world, CFZtv, and the largest cryptozoological conference in the English-speaking world, but in January 2009 someone suggested that we started a daily online magazine! The CFZ bloggo is a collaborative effort by a coalition of members, friends, and supporters of the CFZ, and covers all the subjects with which we deal, with a smattering of music, high strangeness and surreal humour to make up the mix.

It is edited by CFZ Director Jon Downes, and subbed by the lovely Lizzy Bitakara'mire (formerly Clancy), scourge of improper syntax. The daily newsblog is edited by Corinna Downes, head administratrix of the CFZ, and the indexing is done by Lee Canty and Kathy Imbriani. There is regular news from the CFZ Mystery Cat study group, and regular fortean bird news from 'The Watcher of the Skies'. Regular bloggers include Dr Karl Shuker, Dale Drinnon, Richard Muirhead and Richard Freeman.The CFZ bloggo is updated daily, and there's nothing quite like it anywhere else. Come and join us...

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Unlike some of our competitors we are not going to try and blackmail you into donating by saying that we won't continue if you don't. That would just be vulgar, but our lives, and those of the animals which we look after, would be a damn sight easier if we receive more donations to our fighting fund. Donate via Paypal today...




Wednesday, February 05, 2014

CRYPTOLINK: PETA doesn't want you to kill Bigfoot, Texas doesn't really give a shit


A word about cryptolinks: we are not responsible for the content of cryptolinks, which are merely links to outside articles that we think are interesting (sometimes for the wrong reasons), usually posted up without any comment whatsoever from me. PETA doesn't want you to kill Bigfoot, Texas doesn't really give a shitSEXPAND





With the latest Bigfoot hoax ready to hit the highway on a national promotional tour, PETA has come out to tell would-be Sasquatch hunters that the big hairy dude deserves to be left alone. Texas, on the other hand, says they will let you quench your thirst for Squatch blood for one low price...
On the heels of professional trouble maker Rick Dyer's announcement that he was taking his totally not fake Bigfoot body on a national tour, PETA has come out in defense of Sasquatch.
"The bottom line is, when someone sees a rare, exotic animal their first instinct shouldn't be to shoot and kill it," PETA spokesperson Lindsay Rajt told the Houston Chronicle. "Just because you see something pretty, that doesn't mean it should be mounted on your wall. You are inflicting pain and suffering either way."
Dyer claims that he shot Bigfoot in a wooded area just off the San Antonio freeway last year, and after being whisked away by the Men in Black, the body (sans organs, bones, or anything harder to fake than some stitched-together pelts) was secretly returned to him by the government. Right.

FORTEAN BIRD NEWS FROM THE WATCHER OF THE SKIES

What has Corinna's column of fortean bird news got to do with Cryptozoology?

Well, everything actually!

In an article for the first edition of Cryptozoology Bernard Heuvelmans wrote that cryptozoology is the study of 'unexpected animals' and following on from that perfectly reasonable assertion, it seems to us that whereas the study of out-of-place birds may not have the glamour of the hunt for bigfoot or lake monsters, it is still a perfectly valid area for the Fortean zoologist to be interested in. 



THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN SINGS LUSTILY

The Gonzo Daily - Wednesday
Absolutely nothing to report today. I have a cold and am feeling mildly sorry for myself. Saskia our intern was here yesterday and will be here again this afternoon. She really is a nice girl, and she works very hard. She is also perennially cheerful, which when you are a miserable old git like me, is rather a nice bonus. Today we put the final touches to Michael Newton's new book, and wait for the Sainsbury's delivery. Apart from that, I think I shall cuddle the dogs and do as little as possible.
Keyboardist Geoff Downes Discusses New Dance Orchestra, Asia
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2014/02/keyboardist-geoff-downes-discusses-new.html
Barbara Dickson interview with My Weekly magazine from 1981
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2014/02/barbara-dickson-interview-with-my.html
Apart from other things, you will be pleased to hear that I have already begun working on Issue 64 of the Gonzo Weekly.
And the best part is IT's COMPLETELY FREE!!!
To make sure that you don't miss your copy of future issues make an old hippy a happy chappy and subscribe
http://eepurl.com/r-VTD

PS. If you are already a subscriber but think that you haven't been receiving your copies please check your spam filters. For some reason known only to the Gods of the internet, some e-mail programmes automatically count the magazine as 'spam' probably because it comes from a mass mailer. Either that or they are just jealous of our peerless content

*  The Gonzo Daily is a two way process. If you have any news or want to write for us, please contact me at  jon@eclipse.co.uk. If you are an artist and want to showcase your work, or even just say hello please write to me at gonzo@cfz.org.uk. Please copy, paste and spread the word about this magazine as widely as possible. We need people to read us in order to grow, and as soon as it is viable we shall be invading more traditional magaziney areas. Join in the fun, spread the word, and maybe if we all chant loud enough we CAN stop it raining. See you tomorrow...

*  The Gonzo Daily is - as the name implies - a daily online magazine (mostly) about artists connected to the Gonzo Multimedia group of companies. But it also has other stuff as and when the editor feels like it. The same team also do a weekly newsletter called - imaginatively - The Gonzo Weekly. Find out about it at this link: www.gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/all-gonzo-news-wots-fit-to-print.html

* We should probably mention here, that some of our posts are links to things we have found on the internet that we think are of interest. We are not responsible for spelling or factual errors in other people's websites. Honest guv!

*  Jon Downes, the Editor of all these ventures (and several others) is an old hippy of 54 who - together with his orange cat (who is currently on sick leave in Staffordshire) and two very small kittens (one of whom is also orange) puts it all together from a converted potato shed in a tumbledown cottage deep in rural Devon which he shares with various fish, and sometimes a small Indian frog. He is ably assisted by his lovely wife Corinna, his bulldog/boxer Prudence, his elderly mother-in-law, and a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention the orange cat?

BIGFOOT FORUMS BLOG: Ron Morehead of the famous Sierra Sounds answers your questions!!

The Bigfoot Forums Blog

Ron Morehead of the famous Sierra Sounds answers your questions!!

I want to thank Ron for his time for this interview. The attempt for the new interview format is to allow participation from the forum members and to help provide insightful information from some of the people who have contributed a great deal to the BF Community. I also want to thank all for your help in the great questions you had for Ron!

Creationists Allege 'Darwin Day' Is Unconstitutional, Promotes Nazism

Creation Ministries International is furious that Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) introduced a “Darwin Day” resolution to honor Charles Darwin’s birthday.

The group claims that such a move is actually an “authoritarian” and unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment’s establishment clause and protection of the freedom of speech. Also, apparently it advances infanticide, violence and Nazism.

Why are the atheists asking the government to endorse something that is so blatantly wrong and obviously a bait and switch tactic? What’s at stake? There are only two views of how the universe, the world and you and I came to be. Either it was created or it evolved. This is a philosophical debate—ultimately, it’s not really about the science. The constitution calls for the state not to be involved in the establishment of any religion—yet a mandated religious view is being proposed.

Read on...

Alice Roberts and BHA complain to Michael Gove over Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm’s Quality Badge breaching ‘no creationism’ policy

British Humanist AssociationNoah’s Ark Zoo Farm, a creationist zoo in North Somerset, has again been awarded Learning Outside the Classroom’s (LOtC’s) Quality Badge. The scheme, which is designed to recognise ‘providers offering good quality learning outside the classroom’, was established at the initiative of the Department for Education, and still cites Government support. Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association (BHA) and Professor Alice Roberts, Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham and President of the Association for Science Education, have together written to Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, to express concern at the Zoo’s recognition. Julian Huppert MP has also tabled a parliamentary question.

Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm has been the subject of repeated controversy over the nature of its creationist displays. The Zoo promotes a theory known as ‘recolonisation’, which not only goes against the theory of evolution, but also more common young earth creationist beliefs.

In the letter, Mr Copson and Professor Roberts write to Michael Gove that ‘Contrary to what the Council for Learning Outside of the Classroom states, it is clearly not the case that this organisation offers good quality learning outside the classroom; indeed, the Zoo’s approach runs contrary to Government policy on the teaching of creationism… The Department for Education has made it repeatedly clear that young earth creationism and related theories are incompatible with the established scientific consensus, and therefore should not be taught as such… It is therefore difficult to see how a school visiting such a Zoo is compatible with the Government’s policy on creationism. We urge you to intervene to ask the CLOtC to rescind this award. We also ask if you would request that the CLOtC changes its assessment criteria to properly consider whether awardees promote pseudoscience, and reject those that do.’

Meanwhile Julian Huppert MP has tabled a parliamentary question ‘To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom rewarding establishments who promote creationism with a Quality Badge award.’

BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson commented, ‘The overwhelming body of scientific evidence and strong scientific consensus support the theory of evolution as the only valid explanation for the nature and diversity of life. Giving credence to other theories such as young earth creationism and intelligent design is to go against this evidence and consensus, and is no more sensible than teaching children that homeopathy is more effective than a placebo, or that the earth might be flat.

‘For this reason the Government has sensibly said that state schools should not teach creationism as scientifically valid. We therefore urge the Government to put pressure on Learning Outside the Classroom, an organisation it endorses, to similarly stop giving credence to groups taking a contrary view.’


Notes
For further comment or information, please contact Richy Thompson on 020 7324 3072.
Read more about the BHA’s work on science, evolution and creationism:https://humanism.org.uk/campaigns/schools-and-education/school-curriculum/science-evolution-and-creationism/
The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today